Author: NZHarnessNews

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Reigning Arden has taken a different route to the races than most horses. The diminutive pacer will make her debut as a five-year-old at Waterlea Raceway on Friday, but that wasn’t in the original blueprint of her connections. The daughter of Bettor’s Delight was purchased out of Arden Lodge’s 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Standardbred National Yearling Sale draft for $18,000 and her early education with trainer Simon Adlam went to plan. However, when returning to her owner’s Central Otago property for a spell, Reigning…

A big day at Invercargill today including the running of the Group 3 Macca Lodge Northern Southland Cup at 6.49pm. Here are a few tips to help guide you through the 11 race programme. Race 1 – Lippy, Sippy and Drippy Mobile Pace – 2.37pm A curious race to start the day with punters needing to keep in mind that the top two horses place a lot more often than they win. Magic Sign can be an up and down type but he was last seen charging out of the…

by Jonny Turner Jonny Cox has faith in Lumen Caeli ahead of the pacer’s toughest career test in the Group 3 Macca Lodge Northern Southland Cup on Thursday. Cox heads south to his home province to combine with the promising Mark and Nathan Purdon trained four-year-old. Lumen Caeli has impressed in his short career, but he is yet to face hardy open class types like Macandrew Aviator and Pembrook Playboy. But Cox thinks the horse is up for the challenge. “I don’t think he will disgrace himself, he is obviously…

By Adam Hamilton Champion driver Anthony Butt knows better than most how good the best Kiwi pacers are. Butt’s driven so many Kiwi stars to major wins in Australia, but this time he finds himself on the other side of the fence. Butt has picked-up the drive on emerging Aussie star Rock N Roll Doo while trainer Mick Stanley recovers from a back injury. And he takes the reins for the first time in a race for Saturday night’s  $150,000 Group 1 Ballarat Cup, due to go at 11.18pm. Rock…

Harness Racing New Zealand want to remind trainers of the important new rule change made last October regarding two-year-old pacers and trotters – from February 1, 2023 all two-year-olds must qualify before they race. After consultation with a number of groups, including the New Zealand Trainers and Drivers Association, HRNZ has agreed to the rule change to ensure that all horses, regardless of age, are of a qualified standard when they start their racing careers. In the past 2YOs have been exempt for 2YO races. But with the racing season…

by Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk One of the stars of Ashburton’s meeting yesterday wasn’t even there. Now based in Australia, Peak (pictured above) sired the winners of all four trotting races on the day, with Peaknmonkey (Peak – Twelve Monkeys) and Aiguille (Peak – Shell Seeker) providing an early double for driver Robbie Close before Maui (Peak – Shezadorabil) and Vertigo (Peak – Shimmie Shook Shook) made it a special day for the McCormick family. Maui was a $30 winner for Tinwald trainer-driver David McCormick with son Lawrence…

Dunns top drivers’ and trainers’ premiership After a huge two days at Nelson, Team Dunn has got off to a flying start in 2023. Currently the training combo of Robert and Jenna Dunn have 13 wins for the season, with Brent and Tim White and Phil Williamson next on 6. The Dunns had six winners at Richmond park on Sunday and three on the first day last Friday. John Dunn, who drove eight of the nine winners, has 13 wins for the season to be a clear six win leader…

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk  Victories don’t come much more emotional than this. When Lawrence McCormick, wearing a black armband, won with Vertigo at Ashburton on Tuesday afternoon it was a poignant and overwhelming moment for the Mid Canterbury trainer-driver.  Moved to tears, McCormick looked to the skies and made a salute, dedicating the victory to three-year-old Effie Hurley, who had died just days earlier. Effie’s parents Shaun and Symone Hurley and their family are close to the McCormicks. “We’d all been camping together at Cromwell over the…

By Adam Hamilton The two Kiwi raiders Copy That and Old Town Road had mixed luck in the barrier draw for Saturday night’s Group 1 Ballarat Cup. Dual New Zealand Cup winner Copy That snared gate five, but has lots of speed inside him, most notably former Kiwi pacer Cranbourne (gate three) and Torrid Saint (four). John Dickie’s rising star Old Town Road will need luck from inside the back row (eight). If the emergency Interest Free doesn’t get a run from the pole, Old Town Road will follow out…

Team Dunn’s dominant form at Nelson’s two day meeting has given them a commanding lead in the Public Trainers division of the new Seddon Trainers’ Championship. They have 127 points, fifty clear of previous leader Mark Jones, with Greg and Nina Hope just two behind on 75. The only other trainer within touching distance is Michael House (73). The training partnership of Robert and Jenna Dunn had nine wins over the two days at Richmond Park, highlighted by Mighty Looee’s back-to-back wins. On Sunday they had six wins, exactly half…